CAMBRIDGE, UK: 5th November 2012 – Innovative design and technology consultancy Cambridge Design Partnership today announces a revolution in the design of fresh coffee equipment, including bean-to-cup coffee machines. Esfresco™; a groundbreaking concept which uses new technology to keep coffee beans fresh, is aimed at giving coffee machine manufacturers competitive advantage in an increasingly crowded market, where capsule-based systems currently enjoy the most growth. It also offers a way to leverage the lucrative global consumer market currently demanding ‘quality, choice & convenience’ from coffee at home.
Fuelled by the recession and an increased uptake in quality coffee consumption, more people are now looking to save money and replicate the luxury coffee shop experience in their own kitchens. Research shows that we’re drinking more coffee at home than ever before: there are 100 million daily coffee drinkers in the US, and 60% of all US households stock fresh coffee beans. In the UK alone, the value of the in-home coffee market is expected to hit an all-time high of £976 million by 2014.
Although the provision of espresso coffee in the home is a large and growing sector, this growth is largely enjoyed by an increasing number of capsule-based systems such as Nespresso and Tassimo. Meanwhile, the market for traditional coffee appliances is also increasingly competitive: lower-cost versions of premium products like fully-automatic espresso machines are now on offer, with recent entrants claiming to be ‘smaller’ or ‘faster’ than existing products.
Esfresco is an opportunity to counter these threats. It offers the unrivalled quality and taste of freshly ground beans, whilst offering coffee choice for the consumer - both at point of purchase and at dispense time. Esfresco’s design offers these benefits without expensive, disposable pods – and avoids the waste that they create. The Esfresco system provides a range of original components including a state-of-the-art storage system with an airlock, which preserves the quality of fresh coffee beans whilst simultaneously allowing portion delivery & consumption.
The quality of freshly roasted beans begins to deteriorate after only 48 hours1 and degrades in a matter of hours after grinding. Esfresco’s innovative technology optimises the coffee bean environment through minimising exposure to four key degrading factors: oxygen, moisture, light and outgassing – preserving the aroma, taste and ‘crema’ of freshly ground coffee far better than other coffee machines or containers can. Esfresco-based concepts include a fully-automatic coffee machine, a grinder and a standalone storage solution.
“Cambridge Design Partnership works across a range of sectors including the domestic appliance market, and this puts us in a great position to spot industry trends. In the case of offering the coffee market an alternative, we were inspired to put our design skills to the test and invest in internal development to meet this need,” commented Matt Brady, Senior Design Engineer, Cambridge Design Partnership. “Qualitative and quantitative testing has so far seen excellent results, and we’re confident this concept has the potential to disrupt the market by offering, for the first time, consistent delivery of coffee-shop quality in the home.”
With the Esfresco concept now demonstrated, Cambridge Design Partnership is engaging with the world’s leading coffee machine brands and OEMs to take the technology to market. Please contact Matt Brady on mjb@cambridge-design.co.uk if you would like more details about how Esfresco can be used to extend the quality, choice & convenience of your products.
1Espresso Coffee: the Science of Quality (Illy, Viani et al)
About Cambridge Design Partnership LLP
Cambridge Design Partnership provides an innovative design service that combines leading engineering talent, approachability, and a deep understanding of the human needs behind products. Our clients come from sectors including consumer, medical, industrial and cleantech.
Cambridge Design Partnership’s team of multidisciplined experts and proven process will benefit any multinational or ambitious company aiming to maximise their return on investment in innovation.
Working as an integrated team, we operate ahead of market change with a dynamic, flexible approach that leads to enduring client relationships, anchored by high quality work and excellent customer service.
Our diverse staff of engineers, scientists and designers has grown rapidly to establish a world leading reputation for technical excellence, astute project management and, above all, thinking differently.
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For more information, please contact Laura Cavaliere on lc1@cambridge-design.co.uk or 01223 264428
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